Chapter 15.56
SURFACE WATER UTILITY MONTHLY SERVICE RATES AND STORM WATER CAPITAL FACILITIES CHARGES

Sections:

15.56.010    Service rates established.

15.56.020    Monthly surface water utility service rates.

15.56.030    Service to condominium.

15.56.040    Qualified senior citizen rate.

15.56.050    Storm water capital facilities charges.

15.56.060    Qualified rainwater harvesting discount.

15.56.010 Service rates established.

The monthly service rates to be paid to the city by the owners of developed land within the city of Kirkland are established as set forth in this chapter. The rate for storm water services shall be charged whether the premises are occupied or vacant; provided the site contains impervious surface. An undeveloped parcel not containing impervious surface area will not be charged for storm water services. (Ord. 4200 § 22, 2009: Ord. 3597 § 1 (part), 1997)

15.56.020 Monthly surface water utility service rates.

The monthly surface water utility rates are based on the impervious surface area.

(1)    Single-Family Residential Parcels. The average impervious area for a single-family residence is two thousand six hundred square feet. This is based on the measurement of over three hundred parcels. This value is referred to as an equivalent service unit (ESU). The single-family service charge shall be equivalent to one ESU and shall be a flat rate as stated in subsection (4) of this section.

(2) All Other Customers, Including Commercial and Multifamily Residential. The service charge for all classes other than single-family residences will be based on the number of ESUs. The actual measured impervious area of each individual site will be divided by two thousand six hundred square feet to determine the number of ESUs of the individual site. The computed rate shall not be less than that for one ESU. The surface water utility service rate for these customers shall be per each ESU as stated in subsection (4) of this section.

(3)    Late Fees. All fees and charges arising under this chapter which are past due or delinquent shall be charged a late fee of eight percent per annum.

(4)    Annual Rates.

2024 rates, effective beginning January 1, 2024:*

Single-Family Residential Parcels: a flat rate of twenty dollars and seventy-four cents.

All Other Customers, Including Commercial and Multifamily Residential: twenty dollars and seventy-four cents per each ESU.

2025 rates, effective beginning January 1, 2025:*

Single-Family Residential Parcels: a flat rate of twenty-one dollars and eighty-eight cents.

All Other Customers, Including Commercial and Multifamily Residential: twenty-one dollars and eighty-eight cents per each ESU.

2026 rates, effective beginning January 1, 2026:*

Single-Family Residential Parcels: a flat rate of twenty-three dollars and eight cents.

All Other Customers, Including Commercial and Multifamily Residential: twenty-three dollars and eight cents per each ESU.

*    Code reviser’s note: Section 2 of Ordinance 4886 provides as follows: “The surface water utility rates set forth in Ordinance No. O-4820 (2022), which is amended by this ordinance, shall remain in force and effect until the new rates set forth in this ordinance go into effect. The 2025 rates established in this ordinance shall go into effect and become the rates to be charged as of January 1, 2025. The 2026 rates established in this ordinance shall go into effect and become the rates to be charged as of January 1, 2026.”

(Ord. 4886 § 1, 2024; Ord. 4820 § 1, 2022; Ord. 4738 § 1, 2020: Ord. 4660 § 1, 2018: Ord. 4536 § 1, 2016: Ord. 4456 § 1, 2014; Ord. 4265 § 1, 2010; Ord. 4264 § 1, 2010; Ord. 4014 § 1, 2005: Ord. 3964 § 1, 2004: Ord. 3911 § 1, 2003: Ord. 3806 § 1, 2001: Ord. 3765 § 1, 2000: Ord. 3714 § 1, 1999: Ord. 3597 § 1 (part), 1997)

15.56.030 Service to condominium.

For the purposes of this chapter, storm water utility rate shall be computed by measuring the impervious area of the entire condominium site and dividing by two thousand six hundred square feet per ESU. The “total” service fee shall be the number of ESUs multiplied by the rate/ESU as set forth in Section 15.56.020(B). The rate for each “condominium unit” shall then be determined by dividing the entire service fee by the number of units. (Ord. 3597 § 1 (part), 1997)

15.56.040 Qualified senior citizen rate.

(a)    The rates to be charged to a qualified low-income senior citizen single-family residential customer shall be:

(1)    Storm Water Service Fee. Fifty percent of the basic charge per ESU as set forth in Section 15.56.020(A).

(b)    For the purposes of this section, “qualified low-income senior citizen” means a person that has been determined by the King County assessor to be qualified for a low-income senior citizen property tax exemption authorized under RCW 84.36.381 as currently written or hereafter amended. (Ord. 3714 § 2, 1999: Ord. 3597 § 1 (part), 1997)

15.56.050 Storm water capital facilities charges.

The purpose of this section is to establish storm water capital facilities charges for all development activity as defined in the Kirkland Zoning Code that will include creation of new impervious surface with the exception of such charges associated with the construction of any shelter or low-income housing project found by the city manager to serve low-income persons, which charges may be waived upon such finding.

(1)    The SWCFC base fee shall be adjusted periodically, but not less often than every odd-numbered year. The adjustment calculation shall use an industry-standard methodology.

Upon determining the adjusted SWCFC base fee, the director of public works shall file with the director of finance and administration three copies noting the adjusted fee along with the values the fee is based on. The director of finance and administration shall file the schedules and values with the city clerk to be available for use by the general public and the affected city officials and departments. Current fees are published online: https://www.kirklandwa.gov/Government/
Departments/Development-Services-Center/Tools-and-Resources/All-Forms-Publications-Fees.

(2)    Criteria for Determination of Storm Water Capital Facilities Charge. The storm water capital facilities charge (SWCFC) must be paid prior to issuance of the building permit and shall be determined by application of the criteria set forth below:

(a)    For one new detached dwelling unit on a single lot, the SWCFC shall equal the SWCFC base fee as defined in subsection (1) of this section.

(b)    For all other developments, the SWCFC charge shall equal the SWCFC base fee as defined in subsection (1) of this section times the number of ESU of new impervious surface to be created as part of the development, except as noted in subsection (2)(c) of this section.

(c)    The following portions of a development are exempt from payment of a SWCFC charge:

(i)    Pedestrian facilities and street improvements that will be dedicated to or constructed for the public use.

(ii)    Private access roads serving residential subdivisions.

(iii)    Alteration or expansion of a single detached dwelling unit on a single lot.

(iv)    Existing impervious surfaces that are being removed and replaced. (Ord. 4808 § 5, 2022; Ord. 4617 § 3, 2017: Ord. 4460 § 1, 2014: Ord. 4036 § 2, 2006)

15.56.060 Qualified rainwater harvesting discount.

The city of Kirkland shall provide a ten percent reduction in the monthly service rate for parcels containing new or remodeled commercial buildings that utilize a permissive rainwater harvesting system. The system must be designed to collect and use at least ninety-five percent of the average annual runoff volume from the impervious surface. A system that involves indoor uses of rainwater must also be permitted by Seattle-King County department of health to qualify for the rate reduction. Qualifying for the monthly service rate reduction does not relieve the property owner from the obligation to comply with applicable storm water and drainage code requirements for the buildings and site. (Ord. 4200 § 23, 2009)